Doctors Make Awful Discovery After Girl Keeps Having Constant Stomach Pain

After six relentless years battling worsening pain, Olivia I. Bland had grown weary of explaining herself. She no longer told her coworkers why she needed a sick day, skipped an exercise class, or canceled dinner plans at the last minute. “I was too embarrassed and too tired to keep telling people I felt like crap,” said the Albuquerque-based accountant, now 37. The once vibrant woman had become a shadow of her former self, consumed by chronic pain that seemed to have no explanation and no end.

Between 2012 and 2018, Olivia sought answers from various doctors and made eight trips to urgent care centers or emergency rooms. Her primary complaint was severe abdominal pain, accompanied by a low-grade fever that peaked late in the afternoon and crushing fatigue that left her drained. “I could drink two cups of coffee at 9:30 p.m. and still fall asleep by 10,” she recalled. “Then I’d wake up after 10 hours, still exhausted.”

Her internist advised her to eat better, dismissing her symptoms as minor or self-inflicted. When a rheumatologist found no issues, he curtly told her he didn’t want to see her again.

Olivia’s journey began in 2012, two years after the birth of her first child. She had always had a sensitive digestive system and was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) at 18. But the pain she started experiencing was different. It oscillated between a dull, heavy ache and a stabbing sensation so sharp she worried about appendicitis. Normally stoic about pain—she had twice given birth without painkillers—Olivia found this agony impossible to ignore.

An abdominal CT scan ordered by her internist came back normal. For a brief period, the pain subsided. But by 2014, a year after her second child’s birth, the pain returned, this time more severe and persistent. It flared up monthly, lasting anywhere from a few days to a week. When over-the-counter pain relievers failed to help, Olivia resorted to urgent care or emergency rooms, only to leave with no answers.

By 2017, desperate for relief, she returned to her internist, who prescribed acid reflux medication and advised her to “eat better” before walking out. Frustrated but not yet defeated, Olivia sought advice from her nurse-midwife, who suggested an endometrial ablation, a procedure used to treat heavy periods. Doubting it would address her pain, Olivia canceled the procedure.

Later that year, she revisited her rheumatologist, bringing her husband, Jeff, for support. She hoped the fatigue might be linked to an underactive thyroid, as her parents and sister had dealt with thyroid disorders. When the tests came back negative for lupus or thyroid issues, Olivia broke down in tears. “I felt crazy,” she admitted. “I couldn’t handle another negative test.”

The rheumatologist offered her antidepressants, but Olivia refused. He then informed her he wouldn’t see her again unless her medical history changed.

As her symptoms worsened, Olivia’s personal life began to deteriorate. The pain interfered with family activities, and her children’s perception of her changed. During a game of charades, her young son acted out a character walking hunched over and taking tiny steps. When no one guessed correctly, the seven-year-old excitedly exclaimed, “It’s you, Mom!” Fighting back tears, Olivia felt crushed. “That’s how my children saw me,” she said.

On holidays and special occasions, her husband would ask what she wanted. Her response was always the same: “I just want to sleep. That’s it. I want to sleep for 24 hours.”

In 2018, a new internist ordered a colonoscopy and tests for celiac disease and H. pylori bacteria. Once again, the results were normal. Olivia began questioning her own sanity. “Did I need attention from others? Was I lazy? Was I really a hypochondriac?” she wondered.

By July 2018, her pain had migrated to her back, prompting her doctor to suspect a kidney stone. A urine analysis detected blood, and a CT scan was ordered. Unlike previous scans, this one changed everything. It revealed that Olivia had two conditions: pelvic congestion syndrome and the less common nutcracker syndrome.

Pelvic congestion syndrome often occurs after pregnancy when varicose veins form around the ovaries, causing blood to pool and resulting in significant pain. Nutcracker syndrome happens when the left renal vein becomes compressed, obstructing blood flow from the kidney. Both conditions explained her symptoms and offered a path forward.

“It was the best news I’d ever received,” Olivia said. “After six years, I finally had an answer. And it wasn’t that I was crazy.”

Her internist referred her to a gynecologist, who admitted to being unfamiliar with treating her conditions. An interventional radiologist proposed an embolization procedure to block the veins around her ovaries but warned it could worsen her nutcracker symptoms. Olivia, desperate for relief, scheduled the procedure but canceled after reading warnings from support groups.

Through her research, Olivia learned about kidney auto-transplant surgery, a radical procedure pioneered by Dr. Hans Sollinger at the University of Wisconsin. The surgery involves removing the affected kidney and relocating it to the other side of the body. While it’s a major operation, it offers relief for patients who have exhausted other options.

Olivia contacted Dr. Sollinger’s team in September 2018. After a review of her records, she was approved for a prerequisite test designed to determine if she would benefit from the surgery. The test involved injecting a local anesthetic into her ureter. If her pain subsided for at least 12 hours, she would qualify for the procedure.

Unfortunately, no surgeon in New Mexico would perform the test, and her insurance didn’t cover out-of-state treatment. To complicate matters, her husband was hesitant, fearing she was rushing into surgery based on information from Facebook groups.

A month later, the couple spoke with Dr. Robert Redfield III, one of Sollinger’s proteges and the surgical director of the living donor kidney transplant program at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Redfield reassured them, telling Jeff, “Please don’t give up on her and don’t give up on your marriage. We can help her.”

This conversation marked a turning point. During the open enrollment period, Jeff switched their insurance to a plan that covered out-of-state treatment.

In May 2019, Olivia traveled to Madison, Wisconsin, for the pre-op test. The anesthetic injection provided immediate relief, and she remained pain-free for over 24 hours. On her 36th birthday, she received the confirmation: she was a candidate for the surgery. “It was the best birthday present I’ve ever had,” she said.

Her surgery was scheduled for July 2019. The two months leading up to it were nearly unbearable. “I was non-functional 80% of the time,” Olivia said. “I kept worrying Dr. Redfield would call and tell me I wasn’t a candidate after all.”

The seven-hour operation was a success. Olivia spent six days in the hospital and another 11 days recovering at a transplant residence. Full recovery took nine months, but the results were worth it. Her abdominal pain, exhaustion, and fever disappeared entirely and have not returned.

“I cannot put into words how grateful I am to Dr. Redfield and his team,” Olivia said. “They saved me.”

Today, Olivia’s life is unrecognizable compared to the years she spent in agony. Dr. Redfield, reflecting on her case, noted that Olivia’s story is not unique among patients with nutcracker syndrome or pelvic congestion syndrome. “These conditions can have a significant psychological and physical impact,” he said. “But with the right treatment, patients can achieve remarkable improvements in their quality of life.”

Of the approximately 200 patients evaluated by the Wisconsin team over the past four years, 80 have undergone kidney auto-transplants, with 80% experiencing near-complete resolution of their pain.

For Olivia, the journey was arduous, but the outcome has been transformative. “I wake up every day and think about how much better my life is,” she said. “The absence of pain is a gift I will never take for granted.”

Her story is a testament to the importance of perseverance in the face of medical uncertainty and the life-changing power of a correct diagnosis and treatment. After years of suffering, Olivia finally has her life back.